Steam-regulating device.



D. O. ASPELUND.

STEAM BEGULATING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. I917.

mmmzea Nov 27,191?

" H avwawtoz DANIEL 0. ASPELUND, 0F BROOKLYN, "NEW YORK.

STEAM-REGULATING DEVICE.

Application filed May 22, 1917. Serial No. 170,232.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL O. ASPELUND, a citizen of Norway, andresident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-RegulatingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to regulating devices and has particularreference to a steam regulating device adapted to be used on boardvessels for automatically throttling the steam supply when the propelleris raised out of the water by the motion of the vessel in the sea, so asto prevent the engine from racing, and for automatically opening up forthe steam supply when the propeller is again submerged. With these andother objects in view, my invention is embodied in a regulating devicearranged and constructed as hereinafter set forth and as illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of avessel equipped with my improved regulating device, and

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the regulating device.

Referring to Fig. 2 the regulator is shown as comprising a cylinder 3 inwhich moves a piston 4 having a piston rod 5. A spring 6 or other devicetends to keep the piston near the right hand end of the cylinder. To thelatter is connected a pipe 7 having a valve 8. The pipe extends throughthe side of the vessel 9 to the outside thereof, where a flexible pipe10 is connected to the pipe 7 by a coupling 11.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the regulator is mounted withthe pipe 10 near the propeller 12 of the vessel. The piston rod 5 isconnected to and operates a pole changing mechanism 14 which isconnected to a powerful magnet or solenoid l5, and a source of electriccurrent 16. The solenoid through its core 17 operates a throttle valve18 in the steam supply pipe 19 leading from the boiler 20 to the engine21.

So long as the propeller and the pipe 10 are in the water, the rearwardsuction in the pipes 10 and 7 created by the ship passing through thewater, causes a vacuum within the cylinder 3 to the left of the plston aand the latter will be drawn into the posh Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Nov. at, 1917..

tion shown in Fig. 1 and the current through the solenoid 15 willoperate the core 17 to open the valve 18 to supply sufficient steam tothe engine. The cylinder is provided w1th air openings 2 1 so that theair pressure on the piston on the one side thereof will assist in movingsaid piston toward the left in Fig. 2, and as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When, however, the movement of the vessel raises the propeller out ofthe water, which movement of course also raises the pipe 10, the suctionin said pipes 10 and 7 ceases and the spring 6 operates the piston andpiston rod 5 to actuate the pole changer so as to reverse the current inthe solenoid 15 which will then operate to close the valve 18 and thusthrottle the steam supply to the engine and prevent the same fromracing. When the propeller and the pipe 10 are again submerged theformer or normal condition will again exist and the valve 18 will beopened wide. The movement in opposite directions bv the core 17 maybeaccomplished in any well known manner as for instance by polarizing saidcore, which is an old expedient for securing reversal of movement of thecore corresponding to reversal of direction of current in the solenoid.

The valve 8 is for the purpose of cutting the cylinder off from thesuction pipes in case of leaks, repairs and the like. The pipe 7 isshown straight in Fig. 1 and curved in Fig. 2 to illustrate that theparticular arrangement thereof may be made to suit local requirements.

It will further be observed that my invention is not limited for usewith steam power plants but is applicable to engines using other fuel.The pipe 10 is preferably flexible so as to follow the movements of thevessel in the water to avoid breaking the same.

I claim The combination with a vessel, its steam engine and boiler and avalve for controlling the steam supply from the said boiler to the saidengine, of a regulating device mounted adjacent the propeller of saidvessel and comprising a cylinder, a pipe of smaller diameter than saidcylinder leading from the latter to the outside of said vessel below thewater line, a flexible pipe connectof the vessel when the latter is inmotionand its propeller sn hmerged means for operating sald piston 1nthe opposite dlrection when the propeller is not submerged and flu- 0!this atent may be obtained for five cents each, by. addressing theCommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

